Limbaugh: I didn’t link Robin Williams’ political views to suicide

Conservative radio pundit Rush Limbaugh responded to his latest self-created media storm by saying Wednesday that he never suggested that Robin Williams’ “leftist worldview” played a role in the actor’s apparent suicide.

Deploying a line of argument he often ridicules, Limbaugh said his remarks Tuesday had been taken “out of context.”

Limbaugh made his “leftist worldview” remark while responding to a caller who brought up Williams’ death. “It’s one of pessimism, darkness, sadness,” he said. “They’re never happy, are they? They’re always angry about something. No matter what they get, they’re always angry.”

“The upshot is that all of these media people think I am just a reprobate, a cold, heartless guy because I accused Robin Williams of committing suicide because he was a liberal,” he said. “And I did no such thing. I don’t know why he committed suicide.”

Here’s his defense.

Williams’ 25-year-old daughter, Zelda, announced Wednesday that she was quitting social media, saying she had been the victim of on-line bullying with “cruel and unnecessary” messages.

On Tuesday, Limbaugh seemed to accuse the media of glorifying Williams’ death in a way that would encourage copycat suicides.

“The thing I worry about, I really do, they’re making such heroism out of this that I hope it doesn’t inspire a lot of copycats by people seeking the same kind of fame,” he said. “To kill yourself is one way to get the media to spend a lot of time talking about you, if you want to be talked about.”

The pundit refined but reiterated his point on Wednesday, saying:

“What I did yesterday was express some real concern over the fact that the way they are glorifying this — and I make clear that I am not comfortable with the glorification of suicide.”

Sometimes, however, silence is golden. Limbaugh has frequently ignored that principle.